Monday, February 27, 2006

Briefing 10: 26th June 1944 - Western Europe

The Allies have invaded and from the beaches of Normandy their forces are advancing, pushing the Germans back into France. Reinforcements are pouring in over the invasion beaches but the Allies still don’t command a suitable port. The situation was worsened last week when a 4 day storm curtailed the operation and destroyed one of the vital Mulberry harbours so it is now even more important that port facilities are captured.

There has been hard fighting up the Cherbourg peninsular and American forces are closing in on the port from all directions. It is expected to fall in the next few days however there is concern at SHAEF that the Germans will destroy the port facilities before they can be captured so an operation has been mounted to prevent this happening.

The US 14th Infantry division has been pulled out of Italy and is preparing to join the battle for France. Edge company has been earmarked for a special operation aimed at securing the port facilities at Cherbourg.

Orders

Using a captured German PT boat you are to enter the port from the sea and locate & disable all demolition devices. Any German stores, supplies, forces & support equipment are to be destroyed unless this results in major structural damage. The offices & workshops are to be searched for intel. especially with regard to the location of German forces, technical specs, maps and other military documents.

Despite efforts to the contrary, the Germans have been receiving supplies & reinforcements by PT and U boats so it is expected that you should be able to approach the docks successfully. The operation will be conducted under cover of a bombing raid and continuing ground attacks.

It is expected that the town will fall within 48 hrs so you are to hold until relieved if at all possible. If the situation becomes untenable, you may evacuate the port and return to Allied lines although only after ensuring that the German capacity for demolition has been removed.

The PT boat is large enough to accommodate 25 men out of sight.

Encounters

On entry roll 1d6- on a 1, the nearest sentry sees something suspicious and shouts a warning- everyone within 650 increases by 1 initiative.

The action starts when the first hidden troops deploy. Those coming out into the open first time may not fire on first turn.

Sentries have 50% chance of replying on their first turn, otherwise they will react next turn.

Others only respond as firing breaks out on 5 or 6.

Civilians will run for cover.Troops will 50% for or run for cover/weapon.

After all hell breaks out, a siren will start and on the next turn, reinforcements will deploy from the Barracks and Security Offices. Germans have only side arms and machine guns.

A bombing raid is underway so there is a lot of noise & excitement.

Spotting demo charges.These are marked on the map. Those on the wall of the main dock will be spotted on a 3+ as the boat comes in (2 may test). They appear as blocks removed from the wall and the gaps packed with drums. Wires are looped along the dock wall about ½ metre below the top.If looking in the area, charges will be spotted as wires lead to them. These may be cut.Against the walls of buildings, charges will be packed behind sandbags. Charges may be detonated from the Security Office or the Port Masters office. Wires run to timers on a switchboard but for safety are not yet connected.

The situation will be confused by civilian dock workers running around. Vehicles may start up & attempt to escape.

Workshop.Large hangar-like building. Inside are steam & diesel engines under repair. Also compressors, pumps and deck guns. A supervisors office is in one corner and contains filing cabinets with assorted engineering plans. Nearly everyone here is a civilian.

Security Office.Offices, cells, barracks & canteen for security personnel, interrogation rooms. Some US personnel in cells. Files mostly contain dock personnel files but also some demolition plans.A few security personnel but well armed. Will engage from windows.

An internal staircase at the rear corner leads down to a passage linking to the ‘Engine shed’.

Mostly civilians here although a few military support personnel may put up a fight.

Engine shed.Actually a ramp down into a large underground chamber with railway sidings. Heavy blast doors seal the entrance but a side door for personnel leads to a gantry running the length of one side. Below are offices and opposite at low level are stores & engineering workshops. Freight wagons are being loaded/unloaded. A large door in the far rear corner is the entrance to a long large passage which in turn leads to submarine pens.The offices & workshops contain technical files & plans and the blast door control. Most of the workers are civilian but some armed guards will engage.

Gate House.Standard gate house for main entrance. The other entrance has 1 sentry & drop-down bar.

Workshops/Storage.Destroyed by bombing, these lie in ruins.

Submarine pens.A-La Medal of Honor. 2 Concrete pens open to the sea. Each has room for 2 subs but only 1 is present. All of concrete, storage, fuel & supply rooms lie along the back wall. The pens are linked by a blast door which is open. In the second pen is a stairwell marked as a fire exit which leads up into a garage in the town.There are a lot of military personnel here as well as some dock workers.Other than that which is on the sub, no files are present.

Sub.Tied up at dock, naval personnel are working to load/unload & reprovision the sub. They are armed with smgs and the deck gun is operational although use at short range is out of the question.If entered, the sub is narrow & claustrophobic with pipes & machinery all along the passage. Essentially 1 space, divided by watertight doors (open) runs the length of the sub. The conning tower hatch opens into the bridge/control room with the periscope & command stations. Aft is the engine room with the diesels & batteries and forward is the crew & storage section leading to the torpedo room at the bows. The captains cabin is directly in front of the bridge and contains the safe which in turn contains code books & maps. Hatches exit the engine & torpedo rooms onto the deck.Once the sub is boarded, fire will come from fore & aft but crew will surrender as first casualty (in each direction) is taken.

German reinforcements.On the occasional roll of a 1, reinforcements may arrive at either gate. These will deploy from a halftrack or truck.

Random.On a roll of a 1, a stray stick of bombs will hit the docks. Randomise 1 or 2 hits locations.